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An Indian army soldier has been arrested for passing on sensitive military information to Pakistani intelligence after he was skillfully ‘honey trapped’ on social media.

The arrest comes days after India’s army chief, General Bipin Rawat, warned of an epidemic of ‘catfishing’ attempts against his forces.

Sombir Singh, 22, who was apprehended last week from Jaisalmer, adjoining the Pakistan border, had entered into a relationship via Facebook with a female claiming to be an officer with the Indian Army Nursing Cops posted at Jammu in northern India.

Flattered at being wooed by a female officer, the soldier responded enthusiastically and within days the two were exchanging erotic posts and explicit photographs, officials from Rajasthan state police said.

After a few weeks of chatting online, the girl gradually began asking Mr Singh for details about military operations.

He responded by sending her classified pictures of Indian tanks, armoured personnel carriers, assorted weaponry in the area and the location of army formations, all of which was highly classified.

Police said preliminary investigations had revealed that Singh was paid the equivalent of around £56 for his information, which was initially transferred into his brother’s account to evade suspicion. He later transferred this money into his e-wallet, police said.

Investigators suspect that the Facebook account originated in the Pakistani port city of Karachi and was being operated by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) responsible for gathering overseas information.

Police are also questioning around 50 other soldiers besides Singh for their possible ‘dalliance’ with the same female agent.

Gen Rawat warned soldiers that Pakistani intelligence agencies used the names of Bollywood actresses to entice soldiers into online trysts and then blackmailed them into passing on secret information.

“Do you (really) think that the film star wants to become friendly with you (soldiers)” asked Gen Rawat incredulously at his annual press conference in New Delhi last week.

But yet these fake profiles are trapping “a lot of people”, he stated, adding that the army had issued a warning to all its personnel to be wary of such “deceptions”.

If convicted under the Colonial-era Official Secrets Act, 1923, Mr Singh faces a three-year jail term.